Most ovens these days include Conventional Cooking, Closed Door Grilling, Fan Forced Cooking, Defrosting, Fan Assisted Cooking, Bottom Element and Top Element so we will discuss these functions below.
Conventional Cooking:
Conventional Cooking is the traditional static cooking mode using top and bottom elements with no fan. Our grandmothers cooked delicious meals using conventional cooking and it is still a very good way to bake heavy cakes such as banana, mud, Christmas and fruit cakes. As there is no fan the conventional mode distributes heat unevenly with the top being warmer than the bottom shelves so it is good for cooking desserts such as pavlovas, meringues and sponges at lower temperatures. It is also great for large roasts.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE CONVENTIONAL COOKING FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Roasts
Delicate Pastries
Pavlovas, Meringues & Sponges
Cakes including Banana, Mud, Christmas, Fruit Cake,
Slow Cooking Cakes
Grilling Mode:
This is a traditional grill function with heat radiating from above. This function is best for grilling/browning the top of food. Most new ovens include closed door grilling which is a safer alternative to the old closed door grilling. If your oven has a fan grill function you can do multi level grilling so you could cook sausages and chops on the top level and baked potato on the bottom level.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE GRILL FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Grilled Vegetables such as Asparagus, Eggplant, Capsicum,
Sausages, Hamburgers, Chicken, Beef
Bacon
Fish
Burritos
Garlic Bread
Melted Cheese on Toast
Pasta Bake
Fan Forced Cooking:
The fan forced function is the new standard, everyday cooking function. The fan at the back of most modern ovens is surrounded by a triple ring heating element that will evenly distribute heated air throughout the oven so there are no 'cold' spots. The hot air is produced as soon as the fan is switched on so the food starts cooking at once making it quicker as you don't need to pre-heat your oven. Also as the heat is efficiently distributed to the food cooking temperatures can be lower than those used for conventional ovens. This is perfect for multiple baking (e.g. you can cook muffins on one shelf and biscuits on another) where an even temperature is required. This function is the best for general cooking and readymade meals but it is no good for meals with special cooking requirements such as pizzas, flans or grilled recipes.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE FAN FORCED FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Almost everything!
Perfect for foods that need to be tender or rare on the inside and well done on the outside such as lamb, roast beef and whole fish.
Defrosting:
Defrosting in the oven involves the light and fan being on but no heat. Defrosting in the oven is better than the microwave as this mode does not dry or par-cook food. The only disadvantage compared to a microwave is that defrosting is a slower process in the oven.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE DEFROST FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Anything that is frozen and needs to be defrosted
Fan Assisted Cooking:
If you're asking yourself 'what is the difference between Fan Forced and Fan Assisted Cooking?' you are not alone! Both of these functions are suitable for many of the same meals. Fan Assisted Cooking uses the top and bottom element with the fan at the rear pushing the heat around. When using the fan assisted function the oven will need to be pre-heated for the same amount of time as a conventional oven so cooking times are not reduced. The cooking temperatures, however, are usually the same as fan forced ovens.
If your oven has both fan assisted and fan forced cooking functions you would use the fan assisted instead of the fan forced if you are cooking food that requires either top or bottom heat concentration.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE FAN ASSISTED FUNCTION INCLUDE:
As with fan forced, almost everything will cook well in fan assisted cooking mode. Foods such as bread (i.e. it needs to be cooked through but cooks well with top and bottom heat concentration) are better in fan assisted than fan forced cooking mode.
Bottom Element:
This function uses the bottom element only. Suitable for slow, gentle cooking such as that required for stews and casseroles. Bottom element with a fan is great for foods including quiches, pastries and pizzas.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE BOTTOM ELEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Stews
Casseroles
Quiches
Pastries
Pizzas
Top Element:
This function uses the top element only. It is suitable for 'au gratin' style cooking for a firm crust.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE TOP ELEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Potato Bake
Cauliflower with cheese sauce
We have covered the most popular functions on electric ovens but this list is by no means exhaustive. You may also have Rotisserie function, Pizza function, Fan Grilling, Bottom Element with Fan Forced, Bottom Element with Fan Assist, Top Grill, Fan Forced and Bottom Element, Half Grill, and Quick Start/Pre Heat. Depending on your typical cooking style you may or may not need these additional functions. For the average home cook the oven modes that we have outlined are more than sufficient.
Conventional Cooking:
Conventional Cooking is the traditional static cooking mode using top and bottom elements with no fan. Our grandmothers cooked delicious meals using conventional cooking and it is still a very good way to bake heavy cakes such as banana, mud, Christmas and fruit cakes. As there is no fan the conventional mode distributes heat unevenly with the top being warmer than the bottom shelves so it is good for cooking desserts such as pavlovas, meringues and sponges at lower temperatures. It is also great for large roasts.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE CONVENTIONAL COOKING FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Roasts
Delicate Pastries
Pavlovas, Meringues & Sponges
Cakes including Banana, Mud, Christmas, Fruit Cake,
Slow Cooking Cakes
Grilling Mode:
This is a traditional grill function with heat radiating from above. This function is best for grilling/browning the top of food. Most new ovens include closed door grilling which is a safer alternative to the old closed door grilling. If your oven has a fan grill function you can do multi level grilling so you could cook sausages and chops on the top level and baked potato on the bottom level.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE GRILL FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Grilled Vegetables such as Asparagus, Eggplant, Capsicum,
Sausages, Hamburgers, Chicken, Beef
Bacon
Fish
Burritos
Garlic Bread
Melted Cheese on Toast
Pasta Bake
Fan Forced Cooking:
The fan forced function is the new standard, everyday cooking function. The fan at the back of most modern ovens is surrounded by a triple ring heating element that will evenly distribute heated air throughout the oven so there are no 'cold' spots. The hot air is produced as soon as the fan is switched on so the food starts cooking at once making it quicker as you don't need to pre-heat your oven. Also as the heat is efficiently distributed to the food cooking temperatures can be lower than those used for conventional ovens. This is perfect for multiple baking (e.g. you can cook muffins on one shelf and biscuits on another) where an even temperature is required. This function is the best for general cooking and readymade meals but it is no good for meals with special cooking requirements such as pizzas, flans or grilled recipes.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE FAN FORCED FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Almost everything!
Perfect for foods that need to be tender or rare on the inside and well done on the outside such as lamb, roast beef and whole fish.
Defrosting:
Defrosting in the oven involves the light and fan being on but no heat. Defrosting in the oven is better than the microwave as this mode does not dry or par-cook food. The only disadvantage compared to a microwave is that defrosting is a slower process in the oven.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE DEFROST FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Anything that is frozen and needs to be defrosted
Fan Assisted Cooking:
If you're asking yourself 'what is the difference between Fan Forced and Fan Assisted Cooking?' you are not alone! Both of these functions are suitable for many of the same meals. Fan Assisted Cooking uses the top and bottom element with the fan at the rear pushing the heat around. When using the fan assisted function the oven will need to be pre-heated for the same amount of time as a conventional oven so cooking times are not reduced. The cooking temperatures, however, are usually the same as fan forced ovens.
If your oven has both fan assisted and fan forced cooking functions you would use the fan assisted instead of the fan forced if you are cooking food that requires either top or bottom heat concentration.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE FAN ASSISTED FUNCTION INCLUDE:
As with fan forced, almost everything will cook well in fan assisted cooking mode. Foods such as bread (i.e. it needs to be cooked through but cooks well with top and bottom heat concentration) are better in fan assisted than fan forced cooking mode.
Bottom Element:
This function uses the bottom element only. Suitable for slow, gentle cooking such as that required for stews and casseroles. Bottom element with a fan is great for foods including quiches, pastries and pizzas.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE BOTTOM ELEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Stews
Casseroles
Quiches
Pastries
Pizzas
Top Element:
This function uses the top element only. It is suitable for 'au gratin' style cooking for a firm crust.
MEALS TO COOK USING THE TOP ELEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDE:
Potato Bake
Cauliflower with cheese sauce
We have covered the most popular functions on electric ovens but this list is by no means exhaustive. You may also have Rotisserie function, Pizza function, Fan Grilling, Bottom Element with Fan Forced, Bottom Element with Fan Assist, Top Grill, Fan Forced and Bottom Element, Half Grill, and Quick Start/Pre Heat. Depending on your typical cooking style you may or may not need these additional functions. For the average home cook the oven modes that we have outlined are more than sufficient.
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